46 replies to this topic

[jrcjohnny99]

In terms of "Mis-casting" ; surely Gray's Blofeld tops the lot; what were they thinking? Bond's ultimate evil nemesis becomes a foppish buffoon? terrible, just terrible.
Tanya Roberts is unquestionably the worst Bond girl of all time, next to her Richards looks wonderful, but Bond girls have ALWAYS been cast on their looks first and acting ability/suitability for the role,second.

[AMC Hornet]

Teri Hatcher as Paris Carver.

Paris (still craving another taste of 'this guy'): "Did I get to close? Did I get too close for comfort?"

Bond (under orders to pump her for information, otherwise he wouldn't go near this one-night-stand-turned-hoity-toity-society cougar): "Yes."

As unpopular as Talisa Soto was, perhaps she should have played Lupe Carver. Elliot was just her kind of man, and we already know that Bond knew how much trouble she could be.

And lay off Britt Ekland. Have you seen The Wicker Man (the original with Edward Woodward and Christopher Lee)? I wouldn't mind so much having my hand sawn off by a solar laser if I knew it was because her bum set the thing off.

[Guy Haines]

Regarding the leading ladies, well, you've all posted what I might have posted, so far.

Concerning the villains, however:-

Michael Lonsdale. Not so much that he was miscast in Moonraker - the Drax of the film was, I suspect, never meant to be like the Drax of the book - but that he would have been far better cast as some other villain.

If certain legal issues could have been resolved in the 1970s - a very big "if" - then I could have envisaged Lonsdale as the number one man of a certain criminal syndicate. That quiet, deliberate voice, speaking English with barely a trace of accent - but hiding barely controlled madness, as he showed in his final scenes in MR - I think he could have played that part.

And speaking of that part:-

Max Von Sydow as Blofeld in NSNA. This is the actor who played "Death" in "The Seventh Seal" and was a chilling neo-Nazi leader in "The Quiller Memorandum". What were the film makers thinking of having him play Blofeld as almost a genial uncle like figure whose associates just happen to have hijacked a couple of nuclear armed cruise missiles?

[Safari Suit]

In terms of "Mis-casting" ; surely Gray's Blofeld tops the lot; what were they thinking? Bond's ultimate evil nemesis becomes a foppish buffoon? terrible, just terrible.

Well he was a campy villain for a campy film, but I do think he manages to convey some of the intelligence and sophistication of the literary Blofeld in a way that others didn't, or didn't quite as well.

[Here's where someone replies "especially when he was in a dress"]

[David_M]

I don't think they ever got Blofeld right, making for one of the bigger missed opportunities of the entire series.

Also, all those BMWs were woefully miscast as Bond cars.

[tdalton]

I don't think they ever got Blofeld right, making for one of the bigger missed opportunities of the entire series.

Also, all those BMWs were woefully miscast as Bond cars.

Agreed on both counts, although I did enjoy the BMW 750 from Tomorrow Never Dies. Maybe not the flashiest of cars (when put up against the likes of Aston Martin or the BMW Z3 and Z8), but a great car nonetheless. The Z3 and Z8, however, looked rather out of place in a Bond film.

[LTK_(1989)]

I'm not going to confuse miscasting with the casting of generally bad actors - such as Denise Richards, Grace Jones, or Alan Cumming - or a simple poorly written character - Berry's Jinx or Pryce's Carver.

I would define "miscasting" as the casting of an otherwise good actor who has been cast in a part that does not suit his or her skills:


- Charles Gray in Diamonds Are Forever
Grey was a nice fit for the Henderson role in You Only Live Twice but his non-threatening presence as Blofeld in Diamonds Are Forever left much to be desired.

- Louis Jourdan in Octopussy
The Gigi co-star is out of his element in Octopussy, falling short of the sleaziness and intimidation that the character of Kamal Khan is supposed to emit.

- Joe Don Baker in GoldenEye and Tomorrow Never Dies
He was good in The Living Daylights as Brad Whitaker but was totally unsuited for the rowdy stupid American stereotype Jack Wade.

[Garth007]

Halle Berry-Jinx

She is 1/2 of the reason why i never watch Die Another Day anymore.

[Safari Suit]

- Louis Jourdan in Octopussy
The Gigi co-star is out of his element in Octopussy, falling short of the sleaziness and intimidation that the character of Kamal Khan is supposed to emit.

I disagree. Well, I don't think he's particularly sleazy or all that intimidating, but I think Jourdan made a fine villain nonetheless.

[jamie00007]

David Hedison. I know Im probably alone here, but I never liked his Felix. I just dont buy him as Bond's CIA opposite.

[glidrose]

Diana Rigg as Tracy in OHMSS. Too strident and unappealing. Bond should have let her drown. She and Lazenby had no chemistry.

[Iceskater101]

Halle Berry-Jinx

She is 1/2 of the reason why i never watch Die Another Day anymore.

 

I agree with this for sure! It's not that Halle Berry was bad, it was just she seemed weird for being a Bond girl. I don't know. 

 

I disagree with anyone who says Carey Lowell was miscast because I absolutely love her in LTK

[Grard Bond]

The surfdude who plays Leiter in TLD is for me one of the worst miscasts.

[tdalton]

 

Halle Berry-Jinx

She is 1/2 of the reason why i never watch Die Another Day anymore.

 

I agree with this for sure! It's not that Halle Berry was bad, it was just she seemed weird for being a Bond girl. I don't know. 

 

I disagree with anyone who says Carey Lowell was miscast because I absolutely love her in LTK

 

 

Agreed on Carey Lowell not being miscast.  I thought she was fantastic as Pam.

[Hansen]

Diana Rigg as Tracy in OHMSS. Too strident and unappealing. Bond should have let her drown. She and Lazenby had no chemistry.

What !! Mrs Bond / Peel, miscast ? Never ! :-)

I do agree about the Leiters and the Blofleds (best for me is Von Sydow)

I will add Michelle Yeoh in TND. I find her no chemistry and she always try to show how independant she is and seems in the same time desperate to have a .... with Bond

[Major Tallon]

I'm in general agreement with Glidrose regarding Diana Rigg.  Don't get me wrong, I was seriously smitten with her as Emma Peel, but I don't think she ever came across as the girl Fleming wrote, the "bird with a wing down" who found a new purpose for living in her relationship with Bond, only to have her life cut tragically short. 

[Walecs]

David Hedison. I know Im probably alone here, but I never liked his Felix. I just dont buy him as Bond's CIA opposite.

 

On the other way round, I think he should have played Leiter in TLD. The guy who did Felix in TLD sucked.

Edited by Walecs, 20 July 2014 - 01:51 PM.